South Korean police have launched a preliminary investigation into Telegram Corporation for allegedly abetting deepfake sex crimes. The move follows France’s arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov on similar charges last month. Police reported a tenfold increase in deepfake-related crime reports last week, with 88 cases leading to the identification of 24 suspects.

Authorities are probing eight Telegram bots that generate deepfake sexual content and examining related group chats. The police stated that the investigation faces challenges due to Telegram’s reluctance to share user data with law enforcement agencies. The police also stated that it aims to collaborate with international partners to enhance their investigative capabilities against Telegram-facilitated crimes.